Water-starved cities around the world are starting to turn to a once-unpalatable solution: recycling their sewage. And they have a surprising pioneer to thank for developing the technology — the southern African desert country of Namibia.

Water-starved cities around the world are starting to turn to a once-unpalatable solution: recycling their sewage. And they have a surprising pioneer to thank for developing the technology — the southern African desert country of Namibia.